Windows XP Login Screen

GirlFridayGirlFriday
edited January 2007 in Science & Tech
Greetings!

Upon my departure from a company recently, I was given a Dell laptop by one of the tech guys I worked with. It is an older model - I am away from it right now, but I believe it is a Latitude. Still a nice machine and will work great except for one thing. This was one that I used a year ago and I cannot recall the login password. I have tried every single one I can recall to no avail.

Is there anyway to bypass this screen - or will I have to purchase Windows XP and reformat - starting from scratch. I hate to lose the entire software library on this machine.

Can anyone help me resolve this?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.



:banghead:

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    Reboot the computer and tap the F8 key repeatedly when the system is turning on. Eventually you'll come to a screen that says "Safe mode with networking," at which point you can stop hitting F8.

    Select safe mode, hit enter, and get to the login screen. Type administrator as the user name, or select it from the welcome screen. Can you log into that account without a password?
  • GirlFridayGirlFriday
    edited January 2007
    Thrax wrote:
    Reboot the computer and tap the F8 key repeatedly when the system is turning on. Eventually you'll come to a screen that says "Safe mode with networking," at which point you can stop hitting F8.

    Select safe mode, hit enter, and get to the login screen. Type administrator as the user name, or select it from the welcome screen. Can you log into that account without a password?


    I am not sure - I don't have the laptop with me tonight. I will try this when I return to my home office on Monday.

    Just as a side note, I did try to enter safe mode - I don't recall which one i chose though - I am not sure if was "safe mode with networking" - but the one I did chose didn't let me enter safe mode. It took me right back to the login prompt. Perhaps I chose the wrong one and I didn't actually enter safe mode.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    Safe mode will have a login like any other mode of windows, particularly a regular boot, but it will give you the chance to log into the administrator account which can remove passwords from any other account.
  • GirlFridayGirlFriday
    edited January 2007
    Well, I don't have access to an administrator password. There is no drop down for any other users of the machine but me. Is there any other alternatives? Or, must I wipe the drive and start over?
  • KentigernKentigern Milton Keynes UK
    edited January 2007
    Hi
    You could try this link, http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=305

    Hope it helps :)
  • GirlFridayGirlFriday
    edited January 2007
    I don't have the XP CD - this computer was a company one and given to me by one of the IT guys. It was my orignal laptop when I started and then I upgraded to a newer Dell during my tenure there. They had this one in the back and no one has used it since me. Because everyone is being upgraded, he thought it okay that I just take it. I didn't think about the password issue - and its been a year, like I said, since I have logged into this machine.

    Perhaps I should just scrap this entire idea and just buy a new one for $500 :) I have tried making a bootable CD from another program recommended on another site - however, I can't even get this machine to boot from the CD drive. It just seems to bypass it and boot normally.

    Arggg. Anyway, what is the saying - "nothing in life is free"....I really appreciate your assistance so far. Looks like I am SOL on this one.

    Thanks again!
  • KentigernKentigern Milton Keynes UK
    edited January 2007
    I can't even get this machine to boot from the CD drive. It just seems to bypass it and boot normally

    Have you changed the boot order in the bios - to allow cd rom to boot first

    It's quite possible also that your tech friend may have access to your old password, our company used to keep IT records for ages. :)
  • clear_darknessclear_darkness TX New
    edited January 2007
    Yeah, what they said, check the boot order then use something like this...
    http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html
  • GirlFridayGirlFriday
    edited January 2007
    Thank you for your posts - in fact yesterday afternoon I did go in and change the boot order. I then put a friend's XP Home Edition in and had it reload. I know this is not optimal as a clean install would have been better. Doing it this way I did lose some programs - but the loss was really contained to the programs installed by them. I had installed some programs that I left on their when the upgrade happened - these worked just fine. I installed my own office and Photoshop programs and all is good to go there. I think just a memory upgrade is in order at this time.

    I truly appreciate all of your guidance. It's nice to know there is a lifeline out here for goobers like myself :)

    Take care!
  • KentigernKentigern Milton Keynes UK
    edited January 2007
    Glad you got back in - :) and only lost a few progs on the way :thumbsup:

    Just an idea here: -
    If you need to password this pc in the future - in case of loss - you could make a password reset disk using the instructions in windows help file.

    Glad we were able to help and welcome to Short Media
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    Kentigern wrote:
    Glad you got back in - :) and only lost a few progs on the way :thumbsup:
    Just an idea here: -
    If you need to password this pc in the future - in case of loss - you could make a password reset disk using the instructions in windows help file.
    Glad we were able to help and welcome to Short Media
    Great link and info. Kentigern! Forgot all about the password reset disk, too. Thanx again for the link and the reminder. :D

    EDIT://
    HERE's Microsoft's KB (knowledge base) article on creating a password reset disk as Kintigern recommended.
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